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missfourseasons

Questions about Earth Boxes and Growing Squash in the Tropics

missfourseasons
15 years ago

Has anyone ordered Earth boxes? What do you think of them? We have a smallish yard (which has become the dog's bathroom) so it seems like a good alternative to try to grow eating food...Have tomatoes in one and yellow squash in another, which leads me to my next question:

The squash is growing like crazy and our dream has been to have some fried yellow squash one day, but .. it flowers like crazy and then the blooms drop off ...

A friend of mine told me that they will never fruit because the nights here just don't get cold enough .. and they need cool nights ... is that true? Will I ever eat homegrown yellow squash again?

Comments (11)

  • christie_sw_mo
    15 years ago

    Maybe there's some other type of squash that you can grow there. Is there a marketplace where they sell fresh fruits and vegetables that are locally grown? You should be able to save seeds from squash that you buy I think.

  • gldno1
    15 years ago

    I don't think that is true about summer squashes. Here we certainly have warm nights when they are producing. What stops them immediately cold weather. I am referring to Yellow Crookneck summer squash. I wouldn't give up trying them. Usually the blooms drop because they aren't being pollinated by insects. Do you have lots of little flying critters and do you see them on the blooms?

  • christie_sw_mo
    15 years ago

    My neighbor is using a dog pen, not for his dog but for his veggies, I think to keep the deer away. It's a small garden but it's protected.

  • Macmex
    15 years ago

    I've seen zucchini grown in tropical conditions. It sets fruit well, though, when we lived in Mexico, for some reason, I could hardly get a yellow summer squash to produce. Green zucchini produces well. Local vining squash, usually from the the same family as butternuts, did much better.

    Most often, when I hear of squash plants thriving, but fruit not being set, it's because of a lack of pollination.

    Missfourseasons, where are you at?

    George
    Tahlequah, OK

  • jspeachyn5
    15 years ago

    Oh george you should not ask that at this time of year.
    At least not if you really love the warm weather as compared to the burr cold we are all "enjoying" right now. lol
    I'm just teasing.
    She knows how I feel about her local.
    Bonnie

  • missfourseasons
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    So sorry to have posted a question and then be distracted... :)

    When Christie mentioned the flying little critters, it did strike me that there are not so many here. But then the squash plants did start to produce some little squash! Only problem is they would get so big and then that was it...they'd drop off.

    George: Thanks for the comments. I'm living in Guam now. I really think you and Christie must have hit it on the head with the lack of pollination. I think I'm going to have to go to the Farmer's market and try to get a new idea for something else to grow and harvest...but we do really, really miss fried yellow squash! Fried green squash is just not the same thing ... Darn!!

    Thanks all!

  • christie_sw_mo
    15 years ago

    You're making me feel smart but it wasn't me. It was gld. lol
    If you still have blooms, maybe you could trying hand pollinating them with a q-tip.

  • sweetwm007
    15 years ago

    maybe an electric toothbrush?! i agree with the pollination issue.
    william

  • missfourseasons
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    I guess it was gladno 1, wasn't it? I'm sorry! I really am overdue for new reading glasses :)

    But I was thinking about trying to do it myself with a q-tip, so you are still as smart as gladno, Christie :) I'm going to try that tomorrow. The plants themselves are so crazy healthy! If the q-tip thing doesn't work, then I'm going to buy some concrete and start making concrete leaves out of the leaves. They are just gorgeous!

  • helenh
    15 years ago

    Have you solved your problem?

    Here is a link that might be useful: squash video

  • missfourseasons
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Helen: Thank you for the link to the squash video. Unfortunately, we yanked said squash plants out of the earth box already (actually, DH did it) ... and now I will be off to the local Farmers' Market to see what kind of vegie alternatives I have to choose from...sigh! Guess I'll have to wait til we get back to MO to eat fried yellow squash again ...

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